You can tell
by Mariss95
Summary: Oliver and Felicity's relationship doesn't look as innocent from other people's perspectives. Short stories of how they handle it in various occasions. ["Everyone Can See It" trope]
1. You can tell

Hi! This is a response to the following prompt an anon sent at tumblr:

"_Oliver and felicity are fighting in a married kinda way, making his business associates confused."_

So here it goes :)

It doesn't contain spoilers

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>YOU CAN TELL<strong>

Oliver pulled at his tie, feeling smothered. He had been having a terrible week. Days had been filled with meetings, drowning him in paperwork. The current case team arrow was working on was going south, one dead end after another. It didn't help matters that his mother was intent on fixing him up with somebody, anybody at this point; he had been in five terrible dates this month alone. The elevator dinged and the doors opened on his office floor, revealing a fuming Felicity.

"Where have you been?!" she hissed.

Oh yeah, and to top it all Felicity was mad at him.

"I had lunch with the manager of Corbel enterprise, and then I took a walk to clear my head."

"Well you can clear your head on your way to the meeting you have _right_ _now_" she countered as they walked to his office, her normal amusement at his antics gone.

"I'm sorry" he said sheepishly.

"Save it. I'm only trying to do my job. After all I wouldn't want to get fired" she sarcastically snapped back. She sounded deeply hurt, the icy tone of her voice slicing right through him.

"Hey, come here" Oliver took her arm and pulled her to the side, oblivious to the curious eyes of his business associates who watched intently their exchange from behind the glass wall.

Now she stood facing him but still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it, you know that. It was just… a bad day" he concluded.

"We all have bad days Oliver. I sure do but that doesn't mean I go around denying your existence" she replied.

He sighed, his jaw tight. "It came out wrong. My mother, she was pestering me about us, asking too many questions. Questions I can't answer truthfully. I could have phrased it better…"

"No, it was great. I think '_just my secretary_' covered our relationship quite nicely" she was furious, her fingers poking his chest, remarking her words.

"Felicity" His hands snapped hers, holding her tiny fists against his chest. "I. am. truly. sorry" he said, punctuating every word, his eyes boring into hers. "I didn't mean it to sound so… harsh. I just needed her to stop. I didn't mean to belittle our relationship. You know I couldn't be myself without you." She stood paralyzed, taken aback by the intense turn the conversation had taken. Her mouth even opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out; so he went on. "Would you forgive me, please? I'm having a lousy week as it is, and having you give me the silent treatment is just making it worse."

She bit her lower lip, anger having left her the moment he took her hands in his. "Okay" she whispered, "but don't let that happen ever again" she said more than asked. "I mean, at least you could have said executive assistant. Secretary, that is low."

And there was the playful banter he was missing. He smiled warmly and released her hands, running his along her arms instead. "My _best_ _friend_" he assured her, smiling. Her mouth rose in a smile of her own, her palms now flush against his chest.

And then someone cleared his throat, catching their attention. They both turned around to face Mr. Spalding who stood by the door to the conference room "Mr. Queen, whenever you're ready…" he said, eyeing Felicity.

Suddenly they became aware of the dozen pair of eyes that were glued to them, and they tore their hands from each other. Oliver cleared his throat and stated he would be right there.

Felicity blushed and turned to Oliver, noticing how tired he looked. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed in deeply. She brought a hand to his neck and fixed his collar, tightening his tie while giving him an encouraging smile. He grinned back and lightly caressed her hand before walking into his meeting.

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><p>An hour later Felicity watched from behind the glass wall how he ran his hand through his hair for the hundredth time. He looked exhausted and, now that she was no longer seeing red, she felt kind of bad for him. So she rose from her seat and did something she swore would never do again.<p>

Oliver was rustling through some papers when Felicity placed a warm cup of coffee in front of him. He looked up and winked at her, a silent _'thank you'_ passing though.

"Your wife can stay if you'd like" interrupted Mr. Spalding. Oliver and Felicity turned to him, speechless. The room fell silent as Oliver thought of the best way to phrase his answer. But Felicity beat him to it.

"You told them I was your wife?" she snapped at him, an incredulous look on her face. He just raised his eyebrows in response.

"Aren't you?" a man sitting beside her quipped.

"No" she laughed loudly. "No way, we're not. He's not my husband. We're nothing. I mean not nothing, I work for him… but not like that. I'm not an escort or anything like that." Oliver chuckled under his breath at the bemused expression on the other men's face. They hadn't ever experienced a ranting Felicity Smoak before. It sure was a show. He decided to put an end to her misery. "Felicity."

"Yes. I should stop talking… right now." And she did, miming a zipper closing over her lips. Before she could walk away in shame Oliver looked up at her and with a smile on his face whispered "Now who is the one downplaying our relationship?"

"Shut up" she hissed back and walked away.

Oliver turned to face the confused crowd, an amused smile on his face. "Now, where were we?"

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><p><em><strong>Thank you for reading!<strong>_ Please like/comment. Encouragement or constructive criticism is always welcomed :)


	2. I already regret this

Hi guys! So a few of you asked for more and, as I had a lot of fun writing the first part and needed a light-hearted and fun break from _If I knew then_, I wrote this.

It's another situation where Oliver and Felicity's relationship status is addressed by another character, and how they respond to it this time.

It's also a response for makepatronusesnothorcruxes's prompt "_I already regret this" _on tumblr, hence the title.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>I ALREADY REGRET THIS<strong>

"I already regret this."

"It will be fine. We've done this before."

"Yes, and need I remind you that ended up with a bomb strapped to my neck?"

Oliver tensed noticeably at her side. He had almost forgotten about that part. After all it had been a long time ago.

It was Coast City's annual jewelry auction. He usually tried to avoid these kind of pompous events, being overly tired of playing the billionaire Oliver Queen persona; but this year he found himself in the midst of it, mask in place, because arrow business required it.

They had been tracking a new con man that had zeroed in on Starling. Though he wasn't as ruthless as the Dodger, Oliver was relentless in letting him go after he had attacked his mother merely a week before. His blood boiled at the memory of his shaky mother as she retold the crime to the police. He hadn't seen her that shaken up since the vigilante had paid her a visit.

So Felicity had hunted him down, predicting he would strike next at the biggest jewelry target around. So there they were, a sense of déjà vu washing over them. She shivered at the thought of her first field mission. Oliver's hand pressed firmly against the small of her back as they walked through the ballroom. Leaning into her he whispered into her ear, "I remember. That's why I'm not leaving you out of my side this time."

A shiver ran down her spine but this time for a very different reason. His warm touch burned the naked skin on her back. Like many other undercover missions she had joined him in the required formal attire to go unnoticed; or at least as unnoticed you could be when you were Oliver Queen's date. Well, not date _date_ exactly, at least neither of them had called it that –though Diggle definitely had–.

She carried her handy phone in her priced clutch, ready for when an alarm got disabled in case the target didn't take their bait. Still as he paraded her around the room easily engaging in conversation with anyone that greeted him, she looked quite the part.

"Stop that" he whispered when they were alone again.

"Stop what?" She had zoned out scanning the crowd.

"You're fidgeting, with the ring."

She looked down at the humongous emerald ring that adorned her left hand.

"You look nervous and alert. He won't fall for it if you don't look like an easy prey."

"Well excuse me if having a thousand-dollar stone on my finger makes me a little jumpy. Especially if I'm playing bait for a very scary criminal who, by the way, we have no idea what he looks like", she snapped back.

"Millions…" he muttered under his breath before downing a flute of champagne.

"What?!"

"It's a family heirloom from the fifteenth century" he shared sheepishly.

"Great, that makes me feel so much better" sarcasm tainted her words, pressing said hand to her stomach. "I'm gonna get sick."

Cupping her elbow he led them to a secluded corner where they were away from the crowd.

"Hey" he called, voice soft, making her face him. "We can pull back, look for another angle. You don't need to do this"

"I know, but I will. After all it was my idea… I'm just having a little case of cold feet."

"It will be ok. We've been through worse. We just need to spike his interest and wait till he makes a move".

She swallowed hard, eyes studying the play of light against the green stone. He cupped her chin tilting her head upwards until their eyes met.

"I won't let anything happen to you; I promise." Felicity nodded at him, getting lost in the deep blue of his gaze.

"I'm looking over you too, Felicity" came Dig's deep voice through the comms.

She took a step back, Oliver's hand dropping from her face as her eyes searched the room for her trusty friend. Like many bodyguards, he stood by the entrance, eyes locked on them, a knowing smile on his face. She had almost forgotten about him and blushed at the thought of how Oliver and her had looked draped around each other.

Through the crowd she gave him a warm smile, knowing he would surely tease them about it later but thankful for his presence.

"Oliver Queen" a booming voice called from behind them. They both turned to face a tall and handsome man, not as good looking as Oliver, she thought, but he had the same smug trust-fund look on his face Oliver used in public.

"Max Fuller" Oliver said by her side through gritted teeth.

They exchanged a handshake that looked polite enough but she saw how Oliver shot daggers at him, tension taking over his body.

_Was this the con man?,_ she wondered. No, his profile wasn't anything like they'd learnt and by the looks of it this guy was loaded, a skimpy dressed supermodel at his side. Then _why was Oliver so on edge?_

When Max Fuller's eyes fell on her she knew why.

The man smirked at her and proceeded to eye her up and down abashedly. She cringed under his leer, something that didn't go unnoticed by Oliver as he stepped closer and wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, pressing her tight to his side.

Felicity had to hold onto his chest to steady herself, as being in heels and quite a heavy dress only worsened her coordination. She was about to ask Oliver what was happening, trying to make some sense of his reaction when the other man stepped in.

"Is this your fiancé?" he asked rather amused.

Taken aback she swallowed the laugh that threatened to escape her lips at the thought, when Oliver's hold on her tightened, pressing her further into him.

"Yes, she is" he answered with a threatening tone, much to her surprise.

Panic and confusion seeped through her at his response as Diggle's chuckle echoed though the comms.

This Max Fuller seemed as surprised as she was at Oliver's words, surely knowing his reputation. Oliver Queen wasn't the settling down type, at least that's not the image he was trying to portray. Thus this being beyond out of character.

Though confused and idly angry she stood in silence letting Oliver play this out, knowing the moment they were alone she would let him have it. This wasn't part of the plan.

"So, when's the rehearsal dinner?" asked Max playfully.

She watched dumbfounded as both him and Oliver laughed at that, missing the meaning behind it. Still Oliver's smile was strained, eyebrows shot upwards, as his hand pressed harder at her hip. She played along, caressing his chest with the hand that still laid flush over his heart. His muscles tensed under her touch, a telltale that he was on edge.

Thought he was wearing a different suit Oliver's voice and stare were equally threatening as the Arrow's. _Had this guy kicked his puppy or something?_ There was a story behind this and she was eager to hear it.

"Well, I'll be seeing you then" Max leered at her and, with a final flirtatious wink, strutted past them. Oliver's eyes were glued to his retreating figure until he vanished through the crowd.

She could feel under her hand more than hear the growl he let out, his fingers now digging into the skin of her hip in a way that could leave his mark.

"Ookay… Not to state the obvious but that was totally weird" she quipped when the silence stretched on. "I think I would remember being proposed to." _Or at least having slept together before that._

Oliver's hold on her lessened as he turned to face her, eyes wide open.

"I said that last part out loud, didn't I?" she muttered closing her eyes, already knowing the answer. Diggle chuckled once again shaking his head across the room until he spotted it.

"Guys" his voice came hushed and alert through the comm, "blonde guy at your ten o'clock. He's eyeing Felicity with particular interest, it may be our guy."

"Well, he doesn't seem to be the only one…" Oliver muttered through gritted teeth.

Felicity eyed him curiously before turning her attention to the suspect.

"He's the one!" she exclaimed with excitement, refraining herself of fist pumping her fist in the air. "He's on the short list of associates we pulled up from that fence you took out."

"Ok. Everybody's got the plan?"

Felicity nodded meeting his eye as Diggle muttered a firm _yes_. Oliver gave her a last reassuring nod before his hand released its grip on her. She took a deep breath to steady herself, shaking off Max, Oliver's touches and the crippling fear that threatened to take over her whenever she was on the field. _Time to get the job done._

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><p>"Oliver, you should've seen the look on his face!"<p>

Felicity beamed proudly as they entered the lair. Oliver followed close behind, already loosening his bowtie and discarding the suit jacket nearby, a smile etched on his face as well.

"He looked so proud! As if I was an easy target… he had no idea. He was completely blindsided when the police caught him with it. I told you, this was a solid plan. I mean I even felt it when he pulled it from my finger and all!"

"Maybe it's because of all those security and pick-pocketing lessons Roy's been giving you. I bet you don't regret going through with it after all" he quipped humorously. She turned around to face him, hand on her hip and a playful scowl in place.

"Don't you dare rain on my parade, Queen. I was awesome tonight."

"You were."

For a moment they stood there smiling at each other, the levity present in the ride back leaving them now that they were finally alone again.

"So, you're gonna tell what that whole possessive thing was all about or am I gonna have to convince Tommy to tell me instead?"

His heart warmed at how close his two best friends had gotten, even though sometimes they used it against him.

"Max Fuller and I have some… history"

"Yes, that much I gathered. But unless you two dated there's more to it."

Oliver burst into laughter which only served to widen her smile. He didn't laugh nearly enough so whenever she could lighten him up, intentionally or not, it made her day.

"Not quite. Actually I may have slept with his fiancé… on their rehearsal dinner."

"Uh, classy" she let out laughing.

"Yeah, I was a real class act back then." He didn't even need to clarify when _then_ meant, she knew. Even after the couple of years she'd known him he rarely ever named or talked about the island, if he could help it.

"I've learnt. Tommy sure has some interesting stories, and the internet is flooded with crazy ones as well." Now it was Oliver's time to cringe. Felicity was one of the few people who didn't see or treated him as the Oliver of before; the only one who truly saw him as he was, and even thought of him as a hero.

"Anyway, he still holds a grudge against me. Last time he tried to have me beat up"

"Good luck with that plan" she mumbled between laughs.

"Yeah, actually Laurel got us out of that mess taking the guards out. No wonder Tommy never shares that story."

"Wait, so if he is still pissed at you and is the reveng-y tipe –which he totally looks like by the way– wouldn't me being your pretend fiancé provoke him more?"

"Yes, but it gives me an excuse to be with you at all times." Felicity met his eyes, a delicate eyebrow raised in question. _Was this Oliver unintentionally saying awkward innuendos like she did?_ "For protection, I mean. Besides, didn't your plan imply that?" he stepped in before it got uncomfortable. Her brain-to-mouth filter problem might just be contagious.

"Not really. It implied me playing the clueless date of a billionaire who can spare a fancy ring from his collection."

"Yet you wore it on _that_ finger." He retorted wittily walking by her and bee lining for the door.

"Well, don't think that excuses you for making me your fake bride-to-be. Don't ever do that again! Or at least without asking first. Remember I could wipe out your trust fund in a second!"

Oliver's laughter echoed through the foundry, a smile now etched on Felicity's face as the door closed behind him.

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><p>Thanks for reading! I don't know if I'll write more of these short pieces with this theme, so I'll leave this story labeled as <em>completed<em> for the time being. As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)


	3. Liar, Liar

Hi! Here goes another one-shot with a similar topic, this time inspired by the following prompt by **_meghanqueen_ **on tumblr:

"_Ollie uh you have something… on your lip there. Is that lipstick?"_

Hope you like it! It sure was a blast to write :)

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><p><strong>LIAR, LIAR<strong>

He could blame Starbucks.

It started as a typical office day. Oliver had come in at eight and, as usual, had stopped by the Starbucks on the way over, picking out three coffees from the barista that didn't even need to ask his order by now.

As he set their order on her desk, Felicity's lips rose in a warm smile, one he couldn't help but return. They were a bright shade of pink today, he noticed as she took a bite from her bagel.

This was now an unspoken thing he often did, especially if they had a tough day ahead of them, or if team arrow's activities had kept them up all night. That day it was both.

"Mr. Spalding is coming up for your meeting in a minute." She said between sips from her cup of coffee. Her eyes were skimming her tablet as her fingers flew through the keyboard.

How she could be this put together and sharp after the last couple of days they'd had he didn't know. A mob war had exploded in town, one that required their undivided attention, the whole team coming together to keep the city safe.

Giving her a slight nod Oliver headed to his office, leaving his coffee aside for the moment in order to prepare for the work ahead.

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><p>An hour passed, then two. The meeting seemed never-ending; the warm cup of coffee being the only thing keeping him awake. As he downed what was left of it, Oliver tried his best to focus on the presentation. When done he took the lid off and toyed with it between his fingers. What he would do to have an arrow right then, his nervous tick now being replaced with the plastic cup top.<p>

Spalding was behaving rather odd today, he thought. Ever since he'd arrived he had eyed him curiously, maybe sensing how tired he was. Oliver did his best to pretend to be at his best, his CEO mask firmly in place.

A sigh of relief left him when the meeting finally came to an end. His smile when shaking the board member's hand goodbye sure was wider than when he'd greeted him earlier.

Then Oliver allowed himself a moment of calm, leaning back in the leather chair and closing his eyes for a minute, not quite resting –he had barely been able to sleep, pent up tension taking over his body whenever he had the chance to be home–, but at least alienating himself from the corporate confinement he still wasn't used to or had grown a taste for.

The quiet lasted for a few minutes, enough for him to lose himself in his thoughts. A couple taps against the conference room's glass wall called his attention. He expected it to be Felicity, reminding him of his next appointment or just checking up on him, as she did whenever he had a particular rough day. Still it was a different blonde woman that greeted him.

"Bad day?" Sara asked leaning against the open door, a sympathetic look on her face. She'd returned home for their latest case and was making the best of the time she had to share with her friends and family in Starling City.

"Yeah, long. I don't know how my dad did this and made it look so easy." Oliver's reply came with a tired voice, drained by the pressure that sometimes seemed to be too much.

"Well, he'd longed for it his whole life; been molded to do so for years."

"And I'm formed from a whole different mold" he sighed running a hand over his face, willing himself awake.

"Yep, but you have to keep this job running; we need the money. You're team arrow's sugar daddy." Sara chimed plopping herself in an office chair before him, drawing a chuckle from her old friend.

In moments like that Oliver saw a lightness in her that remained from the old Sara, that had somehow survived through the hellish ordeal she'd gone through. Surprisingly enough, he'd seen it most after she'd gone back with the league of assassins; though he was sure it had more to do with Nyssa than with her actual work there.

The corners of his lips rose at seeing her happy again, _whole_. He wondered if he'd ever find that kind of peace again, to let go and be himself completely with someone else.

Then something changed in her demeanor; a brow furrowing at first followed by a twinkle in her eyes and finally a smirk that lightened up her whole face.

"Ollie uh you have something… on your lip there." Her voice was cheerful, like before, but there was something new there: delight.

"Is that lipstick?" she added, a delicate eyebrow arched.

_Lipstick?_

He knitted his eyebrows at her, raising a hand to trace his lips, and then pulling it back to look at it. Pink was smudged over his fingertips, a distinct shade he'd seen before.

Sara broke out laughing at his expression, confusion clouding his features as he looked towards his EA's empty desk.

"Felicity?"

"I ran into her on the way up. She was needed downstairs, something about her old-supervisor being clueless. I remember her sporting that same color by the way; smeared too." Sara's words lingered between them as he racked his head for the answer.

They hadn't kissed, he would remember _that_. Though they had long ago crossed the denial phase of their relationship they hadn't yet taken that final step, knowing there was no coming back. He knew all too well that one taste of her, of what they could be would be his undoing.

Then realization hit him. His eyes glided over the desk landing on the empty coffee cup.

"You don't need to panic, I knew this was gonna happen eventually. Didn't think it would take you guys this long, actually" Sara confessed still beaming, seeing how Oliver's hand took hold of the discarded lid on the table, eyes focusing then on the name written in the cup.

"We're not together." His voice was even as a sigh finally escaped his lips, fingers tracing the hot pink smirch on the rim where he'd drank from.

"Didn't think Felicity was the keeping it casual kind; especially with you."

"No, we're…" he huffed regaining composure, which only made her smile widen. "Sara, nothing happened."

He swallowed the _'I wish it did but I'm still plucking up courage to cross that line'_ part.

She wasn't having any of it. "Ollie, you don't have to lie to me. I'm fine with it, really, I'm happy for you guys!"

He shook his head and bolted from his seat, crossing through his office to Felicity's desk, Sara following close behind him. He had just taken hold of Felicity's cup when she stepped out of the elevator.

"Hey, the meeting's finally over? I swear I thought he would have you there all day… Oliver?"

Her brow furrowed as Oliver barely seemed to register what she was saying, still facing away. To his side Sara smiled at her, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"I know" she simply said after a beat.

"What?"

"Don't, it's not." Oliver turned in the spot running a hand over his face, bracing for the awkwardness that was to come. "Sara, we're not together"

"_What?!_ What did you say for her to think that we are?" Felicity's voice came as a shrill; the amount of times they'd had to clarify their relationship status would be amusing if it wasn't for the underlying truth beneath it all. They weren't a couple, yet more than friends, more than partners even; _definitely_ wanted to be _more_, constantly toying with the carefully delimited line that kept their relationship from being awkward while taking small steps forward.

"I didn't! Not this time."

"_This_ time?" Then it was Sara who eyed them both quizzically, clearly entertained by their banter.

"Look, it's all a misunderstanding", Oliver begun, holding Felicity's empty cup for them to see. "The barista wrote my name on every cup. I grabbed yours by mistake before, after you'd begun drinking it apparently, because I ended up with your lipstick on me as well…" His voice drifted off, recalling Spalding's strange looks. Now people were definitely going to believe the rumors.

"You guys are trying really hard to sell this." Sara pointed out, her smile never wavering.

The elevator dinged again and Diggle approached them then.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"No. Just a desperate attempt to convince me they're not together."

"We're not!" they said in unison, frustration clear in their voices.

"They're not." Diggle's voice was cool, assertive; knowing full well that he would notice the shift in his partners' relationship when they crossed that line.

"Thank you!" Oliver offered relieved.

"You only say that because Lyla betted on next month!" Sara's voice came as a protest.

"There's a bet going on?"

Now it was Oliver's turn to be confused, eyes darting from Sara's amused look to Diggle's grin and finally to Felicity's guilty expression. Apparently his instincts were failing; everyone was clued in except from him.

"You really don't wanna know about it." Felicity's voice was small, humorless as a hand smoothed over the worried lines in her forehead. His eyes then landed on his trusty friend.

Diggle just shrugged. "Don't drag me into this. I've already spoken my mind about you two fools enough times."

_Unbelievable_.

It took another minute before Felicity took a deep breath, making up her mind.

"Just leave it. It's a lost cause."

Oliver turned to her, baffled at the natural tone she used, especially considering she was the one that usually freaked out whenever someone paired them together.

"I've already had this argument with Nyssa over Skype for like an hour the other week when she saw you walk around with only a towel on at the foundry. Two hours later and she still kept trying these freaky persuasion techniques to make me confess. Trust me, there's no changing their minds."

With that she plopped down on her seat, taking a last bite of her bagel.

Oliver looked at Sara with a bewildered expression on his face. She just shrugged with a smile still in place, whispering as she passed him on her way out "You better make a move soon, for all of our sakes."

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><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em> As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)


	4. Little house

Here goes another chapter of this series that is such a joy to write. This one is more fluff than humor, and didn't exactly turned out how I expected it, but hope you guys like it anyway! It's based on the following prompt sent to _bluemoonfireworksat _tumblr:

"_Oliver asks for Felicity's help to find a place for him to move after his fight with Moira. The real estate agent thinks they are a couple (the way they act around each other helps a lot!) and keeps suggesting places with lots of rooms for nurseries and kids."_

For this fic let's just pretend Moira is alive and well, but still Oliver decides to move on his own.

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><p><strong>LITTLE HOUSE<strong>

_Our hearts sing less than_

_We wanted, we wanted_

_Our hearts sing 'cause_

_We do not know, we do not know_

_To light the night, to help us grow_

_To help us grow_

_It is not said, I always know_

"Maybe we should leave this for another day."

"No way! You've pushed this long enough already; we've all established you can't keep crashing at the foundry. Yes, you are more available for our… night activities but the place is cluttered with your stuff now, and the amount of times you have half-scared me to death whenever I stop by unannounced is borderline ridiculous. Besides, we're running out of excuses as to why Oliver Queen spends all his time in a club; it surely isn't doing wonders for your reputation."

He laughed, not only for her use of third person –something that Diggle would definitely bicker about were he around–, but also at her ability to say so much in just one breath. Words left her lips without hesitation. He was so used to suppressing his, carefully filtering every phrase to live up to whatever image was necessary for the occasion; except when he was with her. More and more lately Oliver had found himself only refraining one kind of thoughts to be voiced; the kind that could easily break their partnership, or make it something more.

"And lastly", she said catching his attention again; "clearing both of our schedules for the day was _not_ an easy task, so we better make the best of it. Agreed?" A delicate eyebrow was raised and, coupled with a tilt of her head that reminded him of their first meeting, drew a firm nod from Oliver.

A throat cleared behind them and, as they turned around, his eyes fell on Alicia in her red button-down suit, business smile in place and a glint of joyfulness in her green eyes after having watched their exchange.

"So, what do you think of this one?" Her voice was polite as she walked them in, chipper behavior as only a great salesman –or saleswoman– would be like after that much time spent with one client. They'd been at it for three hours already and the realtor had barely shown any signs of annoyance at his indecision. Oliver didn't particularly like her –fake polite people weren't his favorite–, but he had to tip his hat at her perseverance.

Thank goodness he had asked Felicity to help him out; after all, he had no experience whatsoever house-hunting. Yet, if he was being honest, it were her quirky comments and wandering thoughts that he was more grateful for:

"This looks like one of Dexter's kill rooms; well, before he had gift-wrapped it in plastic. Still, not living material."

"Seriously, I know you're not on a budget, but why move from a mcmansion to an apartment equal in room space?"

"With all these glass walls you can't get changed anywhere without being seen. Great for exhibitionists. Not that you are one! Or yes, maybe, considering the amount of time you spend shirtless."

"Only three security cameras and a single lock pad? Better just put up a sign that says 'billionaire inside, feel free to come in and strip me of everything I own.' _My god_, I didn't mean stripping _you_, just, you know, your things, and _definitely_ not your clothing."

Though most had been spoken in secrecy, surely not to offend Alicia, his chuckles or all-together laughter gave them away; especially when he choked on the water he was drinking with that last one. Her accidental sexual innuendos were getting worse with time, and now he could barely suppress his reactions anymore.

"There's plenty of storage space, a top of the line kitchen…" The realtor added with a pointed look at Felicity.

"That's kind of sexist, and inaccurate, since I can barely cook. Bake yes, but still", she whispered by his side, pulling yet another smile from him.

"… two bathrooms, a large living room and four bedrooms."

"You _did_ mention you were moving just yourself and not the whole team arrow, right?"

Oliver's lips upturned in amusement, an inquisitive eyebrow raised at her choice of words.

"What? The name has kind of stuck. Besides, Roy uses it way more than I do… at least out loud."

"It is quite fitting", he conceded after a moment, but not without teasing her in return. "Now only you and Diggle have to learn to shoot."

"Yeah, that's _not_ happening", she replied with a chuckle, remembering that botched archery lesson that ended up with Oliver's hands all over her –which didn't sound half bad, but only ended up with two very flustered partners and a stray arrow being shot through his suit glass case–.

"And you know I have told her, quite a few times actually. She just seems to keep forgetting about it; maybe expecting me to get tired eventually and buying one already; the bigger the better." He strayed off subject, the memory of that particular archery lesson not safe enough to dwell on at the moment.

"Well, not under my watch." Her determination was clear in the way she wrinkled her nose, surely thinking of ways to set the agent straight without being impolite.

"Here's the third one, pretty bright throughout the day, perfect for a playroom."

"Playroom? She can see we're grown-ups, right?" Felicity muttered under her breath, frowning.

"Maybe she knows about your love for online gaming." Oliver quipped drawing a smile from her followed by a swat to his arm.

"Tease all you want, Queen, but don't forget that night you spent watching me play and commenting on everything."

"The game just wasn't accurate!"

"So, what's the verdict?" Alicia cut in tearing their attention from each other.

They shared a quick look before shaking their heads in sync apologetically.

"Next house it is, then", she said, positivity never wavering.

Felicity ended up blurting out that they were looking for something smaller in the elevator ride down. Alicia simply nodded and flashed another one of her pleasing smiles their way, eyeing them both quizzically.

By the time they got to the next venue he was about done, thinking of excuses to end that feeble search; the foundry's cot wasn't so bad after all. That was until Felicity's eyes lighted up upon entering _the_ place.

It was a penthouse, modern yet with a cozy feel despite the lack of furniture. Glass windows covered one side of the room, giving a stunning view of the city –not unlike the one from his office that she so often drifted off on–. As they walked further inside her eyes scanned the wooden floor appreciatively and, especially, the bolted door and the studio-like room down the corridor. She could almost imagine the set up against the dark wooden panels. It took her a moment to snap out of the daze and remind herself that wasn't actually for her.

Alicia's voice drifted off in the distance as Oliver's attention was completely on his partner, studying her face as she went over the check-list she had made up in the ride over to meet the realtor. Close to the office and the foundry –not an easy one to fulfill–. Secure parking space with (hackable) surveillance video coverage and a top of the line alarm system –something he had argued wasn't needed–. Spare bedroom for Diggle, in case he needed a good night sleep away from the baby –'hey, everyone needs a break really'–.

"And lastly, the third suite; not as spacious as the last two, but with the perfect size and setting for a nursery."

_What?_

"I swear, my nephews would love this place. There's a park right around the corner. Great school district as well! You both could easily fit right away." Alicia finished with a satisfied smile seeing as they both seemed kind of speechless right then, evidently taken by the venue.

"We're not… It's not, what we are looking for really", Felicity mumbled after an awkward moment of silence.

"It's fine dear, you could use it as an office until the little ones come along." Her smile was as bright as it could be and, suddenly, they both became very aware of what she'd been thinking of them those past for hours.

"Oliver?" Felicity muttered after words seemed to fail her.

He shifted in his place and, reading how uncomfortable she looked at having to clarify, yet again, their relationship or lack thereof, he did it instead.

"The place is just for myself."

"Oh." The realtor looked taken aback and spared one glance between them, eyes lingering on Felicity's hand that lied against his forearm, where it had been for most of the day. "Okay. Still… it seems like a great fit, and when you guys are ready to move in together it will make a lovely family home."

He felt as Felicity tugged at his arm and, turning to her, saw the strained politeness on her face. They exchanged glances, an apologetic look on his face, until she finally sighed in defeat and muttered a '_never mind'_ that pretty much put down the fight on the issue.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her adorable expression when she saw no way out without making the situation all the more awkward; then turned back to their expectant companion, clueless of what or who they were, yet more right than he'd like to admit. And, before he could stop himself, a future like she'd described flashed before his eyes.

A very pregnant Felicity by the window overlooking the city at twilight, his hand gliding over her swollen belly. The sound of laughter echoing through the halls, coming from the green-colored nursery. A blonde, blue eyed baby with the pinkest lips he'd ever seen; and a dimple that he could recognize anywhere.

"Oliver…" Felicity called before him, a delicate hand on his face to make him meet her eyes.

Blue, blonde curls and a slight dimple. He smiled before looking over her shoulder to an amused Alicia.

"I'll take it", he announced, indescribable warmth seeped through him as Felicity's lips rose in the loveliest grin he'd ever seen.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em> I hope you enjoyed it :) If so, please leave a line or two to make my day!

(Btw, I already have the next chapter of this story planned, based on another prompt, so will probably update next week too :)


	5. Morning lullabies

Hi! I'm really excited about this one because it was, by far, the most fun to write. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do :) Again, thank you so much for the lovely comments!

This one is also based on a prompt sent to _bluemoonfireworks_ on tumblr, that I add in the end note so as not to spoil you guys the story…

Also, this time I've added a few cultural references and connections with the preceding chapters.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>MORNING LULLABIES<strong>

It didn't take long for the penthouse to turn into a home.

Between the furniture from Diggle's old apartment and several house-warming gifts Thea had given him –interior design was one of her new hobbies–, the place turned out better than he'd imagined it. And, even though people came and went quite often, it became another safe place for him to unwind, drop the acts and simply _be_.

No matter how much he'd enjoyed the manor growing up, there was something off after his return, its lifestyle not being fit for this new Oliver. So, even though things with his mother were on the mend, he'd chosen to settle down in the new place.

It served them all well, after all.

Sara crashed in the guest room whenever she was in town, joining Oliver in his impromptu midnight sparring sessions in the gym he'd installed in the third suite. Roy mostly stopped by for the food, since Raisa had started working for him again and kept his fridge stocked with the best home-cooked meals he'd ever tasted. And, as Felicity had predicted, Diggle had shown up quite a few times at three in the morning to get a few good hours of sleep.

Still it was _her_ who more often than not graced him with her presence.

It started with the need to upgrade his security system and then set up a good workstation so they could work from his place until the lair was completely repaired. It quickly turned into her leaving him dvd's of her favorite shows that he needed to catch up on, at least to understand her cultural references and '_fill his life with awesomeness_', as she'd called it.

One night he talked her into staying around to watch The Office with him with a very tempting bottle of wine she simply couldn't resist. Before long it turned into a routine; whenever they had a night off she would stop by, popcorn in hand, and he'd supply the alcohol. More than once she'd dozed off mid-marathon, drained from both of their jobs and, after studying her sleeping for longer that he would care to admit, Oliver would lift her in his arms and lay her down in the extra bed, taking her in for a moment, tucking a stray curl behind her ear or simply caressing her cheek; the kind of 'innocent' contact he didn't dare to make with her watching.

It wasn't until Thea popped up after her first semester of college and pointed out how different his place was that he realized Felicity's influence on him.

Though still quite classic, the penthouse now displayed a few paintings she'd seen, in one of the art exhibits they'd attended, that turned out to be way above her budget –so, obviously, he had purchased them and smiled broadly at the glint in her blue eyes upon seeing them on his walls for the first time–.

A foreign carpet adorned the studio's floor going with her equipment and favorite cup, because '_she couldn't really code at night without hot coffee, and why not from her Star Wars mug?_', or at least that had been his excuse when Thea pointed it out with an inquisitive eyebrow arched.

The curtain that covered his bedroom's glass wall was only half-way drawn, since '_Oliver you cannot live enveloped in darkness, literal or metaphorical, actually_', had been her words. And, what had amused his sister the most, his bookshelf was now filled with countless films and seasons of TV shows, that included a fairly large collection of romantic comedies he swore were Felicity's for whenever Sara was around and they had a sleep-over.

"Ollie, you're so whipped! I called it when I first saw her promoted to your secretary" Thea had said, beaming.

"Executive assistant; and I'm not. We're friends, it's normal we spend time together."

"Oh, please! Are we gonna keep pretending you guys aren't together? There are clothes of her's in the spare closet! I know we don't talk about our love lives and thank god, 'cause we'd be even weirder than we are now; but you don't need to hide this from me. I've seen the way you act around each other and if you want to keep it under wraps, away from the press, I respect it; though it's your loss because your pictures would be amazing."

"Thea!" he cut off grabbing her shoulders. It seemed Felicity wasn't the only rambling woman in his life. "We are not together. We're just friends."

"Yeah right, and Roy and I are like cousins" she countered, not buying it.

"Not the best mental image" he winced, closing his eyes to erase all traces of his sister's relationship from his mind.

"Whatever. There's no way I'm gonna buy _all this_ is strictly platonic. Whether you have acted on it or not is your problem. But if you haven't, you seriously need to, bro; and soon." And with a final teasing pat to his cheek Thea waltzed away, leaving him frozen in place.

Her words resonated in his head, like many others he had heard before. And, as usual, he'd come to the same conclusion: he couldn't deny his feelings any longer, having accepted that at least for him they were _very_ real and not going away any time soon. If he had to tell from her accidental innuendos and hesitant touches, he'd say Felicity felt the same way. Still she always surprised him and he wasn't about to jump head first into anything without being sure. There was too much at risk, too much to lose.

Yet all this denying they had to constantly engage in started to feel more like lying than ever before. After all the level of intimacy he allowed himself around Felicity topped the one shared with anyone else, even if they never took their clothes off for each other –unless you counted whenever he trained shirtless, which had _nothing_ to do with wanting to get her attention; or when she changed into her 'comfortable clothes' in his apartment, which consisted of little more than a flannel short and loose fitting tank top–. He'd seen her smirk over his reaction whenever she walked over dressed like that, no matter how hard they both tried to hide it.

* * *

><p>It started as another Saturday morning as Felicity stopped by with donuts for breakfast, letting herself in with the spare key he'd given her a lifetime ago. She speed-dialed Diggle as usual while Oliver brew their coffees and, shortly, they were going over team arrow's latest case. After a few minutes a knock on the door cut them short and, after looking over the security camera that Felicity had installed beforehand, Oliver opened it to reveal a beaming Thea.<p>

"Speedy! I didn't know you were going to come by today." He let out, enunciating his sister's nickname slightly louder so his partners would take the cue and stray from topic.

"That's because I didn't tell you, since that way I would run the risk on you bailing on me, again." She chirped already walking in by his side. A pleased smile grew on her face upon finding Felicity in his kitchen, a now-familiar mug on her hands.

"Felicity, hi! What a delightful surprise finding you here!" The last part more addressed to Oliver who now stood beside her, his lips pressed together in a tight smile.

"Same" Felicity replied pushing her glasses up, a telltale of being nervous. "I'm gonna give you two a minute and go, over there" she added after a moment of silence, pointing towards her study–Oliver's study really, but she _did_ use it more than anyone else.

When alone Thea turned to him, looking rather amused as she bit her lips in excitement.

"So, she's here at ten in the morning, on a Saturday. Sleep over much?"

"Thea..." He didn't even try to deny it, knowing when she set her mind on something there was no talking her out of it; he had tried. So instead, he gave her a pointed look that hoped conveyed '_Don't_'.

"I'm just saying…" she trailed off, her smile widening at his discomfort and especially at his lack of excuses. "Anyway, I wanted to see if we could have breakfast together, or maybe brunch? I need some brotherly bonding time before I go back to New York tomorrow."

A genuine smile now spread on his face. Though Thea being away wasn't his preference he knew how happy going to Mood was making her –having endured Project Runway marathons with her countless times before–. It gave him comfort that, even through the struggle that his life was most times, his relationship with his sister kept getting stronger.

"I'd love that, Speedy."

He was met with the brightest grin that truly resembled the freckled kid that once chased him around the halls of the manor.

"Oliver…" Felicity's voice came from across the hall and, easily recognizing the tone she used when there was trouble, he excused himself and headed to meet her.

Thea waited by the kitchen counter, texting Roy about her run-in with Felicity –she was well aware and even part of the bet going around on Olicity's relationship, as she'd nicknamed them–; when, as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"Speedy, could you get that, please?" Oliver asked in the distance.

She opened the door and was met with a delivery man holding a large box. Eyes glued to her phone she barely looked up while signing in and biding him goodbye. Thea walked back to the living room, the biggest grin breaking across her face upon opening the package.

"Ollie?" There was something weird in her voice, he thought, as he headed down the hall towards her.

Thea stood by an opened cardboard box, a pink baby onesie in her hands and a shit grin on her face that conveyed more than a thousand words.

"What…?" he stammered trying to wrap his head around it.

Felicity walked towards them puzzled by the silence that took over the room –not quite usual when Thea was around–. She stilled by Oliver's side, brow furrowing at the sight before her. Before she could ask what was going on Thea said her piece.

"Something you wanna tell me, big brother?" She asked, voice fruity and lips curled up in a smirk, clearly amused.

"_Oh,_ _here we go again_" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em>

So, the prompt was: _"Oliver moves out after the break up with Moira. Felicity is a constant visitor and so is Thea, that just assumes they are together. One day a package with baby stuff is sent to Oliver's apartment by mistake and Thea is the one that receives it."_

I hope you liked it :) If so, please leave a line or two to make my day!


	6. Everybody

So I really should be studying right now, but I've also been working on this piece for a while and it begged to be finished. So here it is :)

I got a few people to thank for their help. First of all, _HotHybridSex_ who suggested the prompt that inspired this chapter (which I add in the end notes). Thank you for sending me this idea and waiting forever until I actually got it done. I may have tweaked a thing about it, but it's mostly the same.

Secondly, _maysworlds_ on tumblr for helping me with the article in the story. I hit a wall when thinking about it and she was so lovely, writing most of it for me and giving me ideas. Thank you so much!

I hope you guys like it! And happy father's day!

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><p><strong>EVERYBODY<strong>

In hindsight, they should have kept those baby clothes. It was still early in the pregnancy –Lyla wasn't due for another two months– but it would've saved them a whole lot of trouble, Oliver thought as flashes blinded him momentarily.

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><p>It all started with a very ill-timed shopping trip Felicity had talked him into; since, as a 'pathologically-indecisive person' she would've probably end up buying the whole baby store were she on her own. That's how they had spent a wintery Saturday afternoon, between polka-dot blankets and green-colored onesies –because, as he had argued, it was a neutral color–.<p>

They got carried away, more than a few bags on his arms as they begun looking into strollers. But, after all, it was their first godchild, and neither Diggle nor Lyla were the shopping type.

Maybe it was being surrounded by Felicity's laugher all day, golden hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders. Maybe it was how carefree and at ease being with her put him; so much so that he had failed to notice _them_ at first.

It wasn't until they were walking back to his car to head to Verdant, after a quick stop by her place to leave what they'd bought –since Dig would surely find them at his flat and chastise them for it–, that Oliver felt they were being watched.

"I still can't wrap my head around the image of Dig holding that pink blankie. It will probably look like a napkin in his hands. Oliver?" Her laugher died down at seeing the frown on his face, eyes scanning their surroundings as if they were in a warzone. Then his jaw tightened and next thing he was walking faster, a hand on her elbow ushering her forward.

"We're being watched" he finally said through gritted teeth.

And just like that she was in full arrow mode, tensing under his touch yet focused as laser. She didn't bother looking around, knowing she still wasn't as stealth as him and might give them away. So, instead, she quickened her pace and, when they were covered by the open trunk, she asked him about it.

"Who is it? Arrow related or…"

"No." Though normally that would be reassuring, Oliver was still very much on edge, frustration also clear in his features. "Paparazzi."

"Oh." That wasn't a first. Since she'd started working with Oliver as his CEO persona's right-hand Felicity had witnessed the media's attention on him quite a few times. Still there was something about this scenario that didn't make sense.

Moira wasn't in the midst of a media scandal anymore, having settled as the mayor months before; Thea hadn't been scrutinized for months now, at least in Starling; and Oliver, well he hadn't done anything news worthy in quite a while. The only articled written on him lately had been about the success he'd brought to his father's company, and how unlike the old playboy character they loved he was behaving nowadays.

"Really? You would figure they had more important things to do that tail you."

"_Us_" he added, closing the trunk with a thud and heading for the driver's seat.

"Well, more in my favor. I'm probably the least interesting person to follow. Seriously, before you popped up in my back-seat bleeding to death my life was pretty dull. Well, _I_ liked it but it wasn't exactly news worthy; unless they are into watching me in the couch doing Firefly marathons for hours straight."

"That doesn't sound half bad." Oliver shared with a smile she couldn't help but mimic. Moments like these still took her by surprise, the sweetest words uttered by him without hesitation, still neither explored them further; they simply hanged on the air until someone cut the tension and they'd move on.

Soon enough they left and, after leaving Felicity's place, Oliver managed to slip through their tail and head to Verdant to work the day away.

* * *

><p>It had almost slipped from their minds, the paparazzi simply being a strange appearance in an otherwise ordinary day. That was until Monday morning came and all hell broke loose.<p>

It started as usual, or so Oliver thought. Yes, he noticed quite a few bystanders' eyes on him when he picked up his coffee order, but that wasn't that unusual considering whom he was. And there were more than a few cars and bikes parked on the front of Queen Consolidated when he arrived, which prompted Diggle to go through the parking lot round the corner. Still that could easily been explained if his mother had shown up on the office for the day; maybe the media attention was her idea altogether.

However, as he stepped onto his office floor Felicity's panicked expression said otherwise.

"What's wrong?"

"We've got a problem." She breathed and prompted him to follow her tugging from his arm. She released him when they were standing by her desk and begun biting her nails as his eyes ghosted over the screen of her computer. There a local magazine's article was opened, big bold letters catching his attention.

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>QUEEN AND SMOAK MAKE THREE<strong>_

_Starling's favorite bachelor is expecting a little princess._

_Oliver Queen and rumored long time girlfriend Felicity Smoak are expecting their first child together. _

_Though we've crossed our favorite come-back kid from the single list a lifetime ago, his blonde partner a regular fixture by his side for years now, this news comes as quite a shock. Queen and Smoak have never neither confirmed nor denied their relationship; but we can all agree it is plain obvious, right?_

_The private couple, who has been seen on countless occasions together since the return of the billionaire almost three years ago, was recently spotted shopping for baby items on some of Starling City's most chic baby boutiques. Both seemed happier than ever, joking around while they searched various stores. From the abundance of pink in their purchases it's safe to guess it will be a girl for the new parents to be._

_Felicity was seen wearing a loose sweater and she also kept a large purse in front of her growing midsection, effectively hiding her baby bump from sight. _

_The reps for the Queen Family haven't answered any questions confirming the impendent bundle of joy, but sources close to the family are saying that Oliver is overjoyed with the prospect of fatherhood, and that wedding bells are not very far for the expecting duo._

_We'll be keeping a close eye for further developments. For now, our congratulations to the happy couple!'_

* * *

><p>A full minute passed in silence as Oliver took in what he'd read.<p>

Pregnant, couple, princess, _wedding_.

They made it sound so simple and real and the pictures that went with it really helped their case.

In one a beaming Felicity laughed at a pink shirt with 'my daddy is a superhero' scribbled on the front while he stood by her side, a warm smile on his face as his eyes were glued on her. Still it was the one beneath the headline that caught his eye.

They were walking on the sidewalk on their way to the car. In one arm he carried countless bags, the other was free; still it was Felicity's hand holding onto it by the forearm that surely spiked their interest. Smiles were plastered on both of their faces as well as they looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Felicity's sweater was puffy, the winter coat hanging around her shoulders indeed making her look larger than her petite self.

Remembering the panic in her voice from before Oliver turned to her. She was standing by his side, worried lines on her forehead, thumb still being anxiously troubled between her teeth.

"I don't look that fat, do I?" She asked after noticing his attention back on her.

"That's what bothers you about this?" Oliver chuckled unable to contain himself. The situation was far from funny but still the look she gave him right then made it all better.

When Diggle emerged from the elevator moments later he was greeted by the sight of Felicity swatting Oliver's arm and him, surprisingly, letting her.

"I know you guys can't seem to keep your hands to yourselves but please, make an effort for me."

As if caught red-handed they both turned at their friend's deep voice; though laced with humor there was an 'I told you so' underneath his tone.

"Not you too, please John." Felicity pleaded, making her best pouty face.

Digg walked further into the room, chuckling openly at the nerves clear in Oliver's face, mouth pressed into a hard line.

"Well, you brought this onto yourself for being stubborn enough to buy us yet another truckload full of stuff."

"You know, most friends would be thankful instead of gloating in our misery." She huffed as Oliver stayed characteristically silent.

"Oh, I am very happy about this." Dig boomed patting Oliver in the back, smile widening at the death glare he sent his way.

"I'm just teasing you fools; but I've warned you more than once about how you two behave in public. It was about to happen sometime."

Both seemed rather taken aback by his statement, sharing a puzzled look that brought up another snort from their friend.

"You really don't see it, don't you? After all this time…"

"Yeah, that isn't very enlightening, John. Would you care to explain?" Oliver spoke up for the first time since Dig had entered the room; his voice was calm, being used to these kind of stories and knowing it would blow over sooner or later.

"Oh I don't have to; you have pictures that prove it now."

Felicity's eyes went over the article again, brow furrowing as she reached the second to last paragraph.

"A close source? Who did they talk to?"

"Not me. I'm not that bad." Dig chimed before Oliver could explain his take on things.

Felicity was about to butt in when her cell phone chimed in her purse. She would've ignored it, after all reporters had been calling relentlessly ever since she'd woken up, but as she easily recognized the special ringtone for a peculiar blonde she took the call, a smile already forming in anticipation.

"Sara! Thank god, I need something normal right now. And yes, talking to a member of the league of assassins is strangely my definition of normal. Are you around town? Wait, weren't you supposed to be in that top secret, can't-tell-even-if-I've-made-you-your-favorite-cupcakes mission right now? How are you calling me?"

"Take a breath, 'lissy. And yes, I'm still virtually unavailable, but I _had_ to call you."

"What's wrong?" Felicity was on edge until Sara's laugher echoed through the phone.

"You tell me. Am I gonna have to go through the very expensive bottle of Vodka I bought for your birthday alone?"

Felicity's eyes shut tight in understanding, only popping back open as Oliver's hand fell on hers over the phone, confusion and fear clear on his face.

"We're not pregnant, Sara." She finally said meeting his eyes, addressing everyone present. Though Oliver relaxed noticeably he paused before his hand dropped to his side, taken aback by her use of _'we'._

"Please, don't deny it unless you're absolutely positive. This is my week after all." She added the last part in a hushed whisper.

"You guys are still going with that bet?"

"Oh yeah, Thea wouldn't have it any other way. And it's big numbers now, so…"

"Yeah, answer still stands. Not pregnant. _Definitely_ yes to the vodka; especially right now."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her; though he knew Felicity had quite a taste for wines, he didn't think hard liquor was her thing. Still, Sara could get anyone drinking whatever she wanted.

As their talk drifted to Sara's safety and her next trip to the city, Oliver turned his attention back to Diggle, who had been watching the scene unfold leaning against the window, permanent smirk on his face.

"How bad is it downstairs?"

"It's contained." Digg shared, his amusement dwindling as another problem came to mind. "You can't work as the Arrow until this blows over, though."

"I can lose their trail, I have before."

"Oh I know Oliver; I was on the receiving end of your dodging techniques back in the day." A proud smile tugged at Oliver's lips then. "But this affects Felicity too. And by the looks of it, it won't just blow over."

He closed his eyes, taking in John's words, knowing their truth. "We'll need to make a statement, clearing it up. Maybe go get the company's PR specialist; get it fixed as soon as possible."

With a final nod his way Diggle headed downstairs, shaking his head at the predicaments these two found themselves in time and again, wondering what it'd take for them to finally take that leap.

Turning back to face Felicity Oliver found her pacing back and forth behind her desk, smile now on her face as she told Sara what they'd gotten Dig's baby. A smile of his own tugged at his lips at the sight, his attention barely straying from her when his phone buzzed in his suit jacket.

_Thea._

He pondered letting it go to voicemail but, knowing his sister, she'd call back until he gave up. Noticing that now Felicity eyed him funnily, mouthing Thea's name in question through cherry lips, Oliver gave her a slight nod and watched her wander towards his office, picking up her conversation without missing a beat.

Taking a deep breath he slid his thumb over the phone and raised it to his ear, bracing himself for what was to come.

"Speedy"

"Is it true? Please say so! I mean I would've loved the whole wedding and gloating in person scenario, but this works too."

"Thea–"

"I knew it! All along you've been hiding it from us, haven't you? I'm not even mad this isn't my week, Sara can totally have the money, just as long as _I_ get the shopping privileges."

"Speedy, slow down! It's not true. Felicity's not pregnant. It's… a misunderstanding."

"So the clothes… another mistaken delivery? There are pictures, Ollie."

"They're Diggle's. _He's_ expecting a baby; Felicity and I, we're her godparents. That's all." Oliver's eyes locked with Felicity's across the glass wall as she gave him an encouraging smile, silently wishing him to 'hang in there'. He couldn't help but mirror her, the corners of his lips rising on its own accord whenever his eyes laid on her.

"Oh." There was a pause through the phone, but Thea's excitement didn't disappear completely. "Still, that's it, right? No more denying…"

"Thea–" Before he could explain the elevator chimed again, his brow furrowing as Moira stepped from it. "I have to go, I'll call you later."

"Like hell you will." Thea scoffed from her side. "I was right by the way." At Oliver's confusion she elaborated. "Your pictures look amazing. Like Will and Kate good."

"Bye Speedy." Oliver chuckled before ending the call and focusing on Moira who now stood before him, a delicate eyebrow arched in question. "Mom…"

"I would've expected a phone call."

"It's not…"

"Real. I know." Moira finished, a wide smile taking over her delicate features. Though he relaxed at her understanding, for once not having to explain himself, his mother's amusement was puzzling. The question left his lips before he could stop himself.

"How?"

She laughed softly at his expression. "Because I'm your mother and I trust you would tell me something of this caliber before the press even got wind of it."

"I would" he finally said, walking up to her and dropping a kiss on her cheek in greeting, sighing a 'thank you'.

"You know, for a bartender Sara sure likes to hold onto her liquor. It took me ten minutes to talk her into sharing the brand she got and double the order." Felicity ranted walking back to her desk, eyes glued to her phone, stopping only as Oliver stepped back and revealed none other than his mother a mere feet away from her.

"–Mrs. Queen! Hi! I'm not an alcoholic or pregnant either. Just clearly lack a mind to mouth filter and have the worst way of wording my thoughts. I'm just gonna stop, right there." And so she did, the corners of her mouth tightening into a grimace.

A deafening moment of silence took over them then as she shut her eyes tightly; replaying the last time this had happened. Oliver couldn't help but smile at how words tumbled through her lips, a trait he had cherished ever since their first meeting. Still it was Moira's low chuckle that broke the silence, much to everyone's surprise.

Felicity's eyes popped open to prove it was real. She knew Moira wasn't her biggest fan, she'd made that clear quite a few times; yet more and more lately she'd softened up towards Oliver's right hand, seeing so clearly how much she'd helped her son, even when she couldn't do it herself.

"It's fine, Ms. Smoak. I've grown used to your… peculiar manner of speech. It's charming."

"It is? I mean, thank you." Felicity stuttered before the biggest grin broke across her face. There was the Smoak charm that never failed to enchant whoever she encountered. Oliver sure had fallen for it and then some.

He held her gaze, beaming back at her and loosing himself in the happiness swirling in her eyes. Moira looked at the two of them for a moment, seeing what the media had clearly read from their pictures; and, feeling out of place, turned to leave.

She had already started elegantly walking away when something came to mind and, halting in her spot, turned around to face them once more.

"Oh, Walter sends his congratulations." Moira added lastly addressing Felicity before turning back around and heading out.

"Oh, we're no–"

"It's okay." Oliver reassured her with a smile, though his thoughts were a mile away; still lost on those pictures, on that onesie, on that blue eyed, dimply child that had been taking over his dreams since that very first time at his apartment, lightening the darkness that usually crowded his mind. And in that moment, he wished it were all true.

Later they would be swarmed by reporters at the door of his building, his arm tightening protectively around Felicity until they were within the safety of his apartment. It would take some time, and a few statements from his mother and the company reassuring his sole focus was on the job; but it all would come back to normal, or as normal as it could be for a vigilante in love with his best friend.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em>

So, the prompt was: "_Oliver and Felicity spending the day in baby stores buying a gift for Digg's baby but every newspaper and TV saying that FINALLY the Queen's (they think they've been married for years ;) will have a prince or princess :) extra for everyone who knows them (Walter, Moira...) congratulating XD" _

It was sent on last chapter's comments and is connected with it.

Something strange, yet wonderful happened in the last chapter. Based on a prompt, I wrote it thinking of the baby clothes as being something delivered by mistake. Then when I posted it people commented saying that they assumed those clothes to be for Dig's baby. Re-reading it I saw that was totally valid and had slipped my mind, as I was thinking only on the other possibility. Anyway, I think it's pretty interesting when you guys tell me your interpretations, 'cause it helps me read my material through fresh eyes :)

So, as always, thank you so much for your support! Comments, constructive criticism and encouragement are very welcomed and greatly appreciated. Until next time!


	7. Hide and seek

Hi! So a few things before reading this chapter:

- Shout out to _**Ray08**_ who raised a question I haven't really thought of before, and that I've addressed in this chapter (who was the 'close source' in the magazine article)

- I'm getting a few prompts in the comments, which are lovely btw! The fact you guys trust me with your ideas is really flattering. I don't know if I'll get to do them, but thank you anyways!

- I felt it was needed to clarify, since I've been getting a few comments about how it's about time they get together, that _**this is not a 'will or won't they' story, but an 'everyone can see it' one**_.

The point of this story is to explore various funny and awkward scenarios in which people confuse them as a couple, or address their peculiar relationship. And, even though in the later chapters it's been behaving as a multi-chapter story, instead of series (following the canon set in previous chapters, instead of being stand-alone pieces), the point isn't really _when_ they get together or _how_. Trust me, I get your frustration guys, and I try this to be as varied and non-repetitive as possible; but the joy of it is supposed to be in the journey, not the destination. Please don't feel the rush to get to a resolution of their relationship quickly (or kindly push me to it), cause that's not really the fun of it, or why I'm writing it on the first place.

_I don't take offense when you guys express your anxiety for something more to happen_; I truly appreciate your opinions. I just wanted to speak my mind and let you guys know how I approach this story, and how I think it's best to be read (if that makes sense). Hope you guys stick with me and continue enjoying the series!

So, here goes the next chapter! This one, surprisingly, isn't based on any prompt.

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><p><strong>HIDE AND SEEK<strong>

Oliver was no stranger to loss. Nowadays, the kind he'd been living with, though lighter, sometimes hurt more than he let on. That day, the burden lightened.

Oliver watched through the security cameras as Tommy knocked on the lair's door; an indescribable smile and sense of relief taking over him as he buzzed him in.

"My man!" Tommy called when Oliver met him at the bottom of the stairs, giving him a hug and an almost painfully strong pat on the back. "It's been way too long."

"It has" Oliver agreed hugging him tighter.

It had been a little over a year now since Tommy had moved away to New York with Laurel. She had needed a fresh start after the undertaking went down –both getting way too close to losing their lives– and, after trying their hand at long distance, Tommy had decided he couldn't live without being around her. A painful goodbye to his best friend later he had flown away to a new chapter of his life.

Though everything had turned out even better than he'd imagined, his thing with Laurel blossoming into the most stable relationship possible, and having opened a very successful nightclub in the Verdant franchise; Tommy still missed his best friend deeply. And, now that Thea was away too, he knew things surely were worse in Oliver's side.

Leaning back from their embrace, Tommy's eyes widened as his focus turned to Oliver's leg.

"Woah, what happened? You okay?"

Oliver flinched, swallowing the curse that always threatened to escape his lips whenever he talked about it.

"Yeah. Just a case gone wrong last week, sprained my ankle. Now Felicity has me wearing this boot until it's set." Frustration was clear on his voice, which only made Tommy chuckle louder.

"That sounds like her. Thea told me you were whipped."

"How's Speedy doing? I take it you're keeping her out of trouble." Oliver asked as he limped to the fridge hidden by the cot and took out two beers, desperately wanting to change the subject –something that didn't go unnoticed by Tommy, who let it slide, for now–.

"I'm pretty sure she's the one keeping _me_ in line. She's great, managing Verdant 2.0 better than I ever could on my own; and making her classes too. Trust me, you don't have to worry about that one."

"I know." Oliver smiled at how much she, well both, had grown up; and handed him a beer, taking a sip from his own. "So, three years now isn't it? You and Laurel."

He saw as Tommy's smile widened just at the mention of her. "Yeah man. I can't believe it myself to be honest." He chuckled shaking his head. "It's great, she's just… perfect. Still buried in work and spending way more time in that firm that at home; yet we make it work, and she makes me the happiest I've ever been. I've even caught myself with your Felicity look on my face."

"My what?" Oliver cut in frowning.

"You know, that lovesick look you have whenever she's around, like if she's just got you a puppy or something."

"I think you've been talking to Thea too much."

"Oh, she says plenty. But that's been happening long before I went away too."

Oliver chose to ignore that, focusing more than needed on the bottle in his hands, downing its content quicker than usual.

"I know, you don't wanna talk about you and Felicity, as usual. Though I have to say I feel a little insulted. I though at least I would be the first to know about your first child." Tommy chuckled as Oliver choked on his drink, only adding to his best friend's amusement.

"You know about that."

"Oh yeah, Laurel had a good scare with that one, almost choked on her wine too. Thea is to blame actually, she emailed the article as soon as she found it, thinking I would know something about it were it true."

"It wasn't."

"I know too. But boy did we have a laugh!"

"Yeah, we didn't" Oliver dryly added downing what was left of his drink. "It wasn't our fault, by the way."

"Wasn't your fault? I saw the pictures, man. That was a perfect example of that Felicity face I was talking about. You can't blame them for reading what we all see… minus the pregnant part, of course. 'Licity would kill me if I said otherwise."

"She would, but that's not what I meant. They wouldn't have published it that way if it wasn't confirmed somehow. I did some digging." At Tommy's frown he elaborated, words dripping from his lips like poison. "Max Fuller."

"That jackass? What would he know about you guys?" Apparently Tommy still wasn't over what had gone down at his club.

"We ran into him at an event a while ago and I may have rattled the cage a bit." Oliver said grabbing another bottle and a pack of ice for his injury –after all, Felicity had told him to ice it every half an hour–.

"Define rattling the cage." Tommy asked still mildly confused, yet more than anything intrigued.

"It was… for a case, undercover."

"Yeah, and?"

"I may have implied we were engaged." He finally shared before busying himself with his drink.

Tommy's laugher echoed in the lair, the beer now forgotten by his side. "Wait, what? How did you end up saying that? Oh, I'm sure 'Licity just _loved_ that! Man, I wish I were around to watch that go down."

"Yeah, it was fun." Oliver admitted recounting the look Max had given them, before he had taken the challenge. Felicity had confided him, one night over a bottle of wine on his apartment, that Max had tried to lure her to leave with him that night. And, much to his dislike, she had blatantly refused claiming she was _more_ than satisfied with Oliver alone.

"But he didn't take it as well and, apparently, when the press went poking around about us he stepped up and told them we were together and about to get married."

Tommy chuckled again, more than amused by his confession. "So it _was_ your fault after all. I'm pretty sure her being engaged to you wasn't _needed_ for the case, was it?" He asked as Oliver covered up gulping down his beer.

"Missions are… unpredictable at times. Especially undercover ones."

"Right…" His best friend assented knowing he wouldn't say no more on the subject. Getting Oliver to talk about his feelings was harder than talking Laurel out of work. That thought brought forth his reason for flying over in the first place.

"So, talking about engagements…" Tommy started, fidgeting with the rim of his bottle. Oliver's brow furrowed, puzzled by his best friend's nervousness; not a normal trait of him. His eyes widened when realization hit him.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." He shared, a smile tugging at the edges on his lips, excitement clear in his tone. "I mean, I haven't proposed yet; I wanted to ask her father for his blessing first, that's why I came back now. Still, I'm ready man."

Oliver's smile mirrored his then, embracing his best friend once more. "Congratulations, Tommy. I'm really happy for you guys."

Their conversation soon drifted from rings to their business together and Oliver's work getting the company back on track. Before long a few hours had gone by, between a few beers and the familiarity of the scene, minus the vigilante lair they were in. That's how Felicity found them upon entering the foundry in a rush at twilight.

"Hey. Dig okay?" Oliver asked already gravitating towards her, his smile only wavering as he noticed the frown on her face.

"Yeah, him, Lyla and little Julie are all good. They'll probably get discharged tomorrow." She called over her shoulder and, seeing the young Merlyn for the first time, swiveled back to greet him. "Tommy! I didn't know you were back in town!"

Felicity practically bounced across the room until she could envelop him in a bear hug, having missed him more than she'd imagined. He'd moved out just as they'd became close friends, him having made her company many long nights on the club; sharing dinner or simply a drink as she worked away in the lair. After his move they skyped once every few weeks, sharing the highlights of their lives, Felicity cluing him in Oliver's safety, knowing she'd be more honest about his struggles that Oliver would ever be. Having Tommy away always made him more mopey than usual.

"What are you doing here then?" Oliver asked after his best friends had exchanged pleasantries.

"Well besides checking on your leg, and demanding the needed icing, an alert went out on my phone about that drug lord we were tracking." Walking back to her work station, after sending a reprimanding glare his way, Felicity tipped away. Soon enough the suspect's shot popped up on the screen, together with the blueprints to his mansion.

"That's him?" Oliver asked in full Arrow mode, already leaning on the desk by her side.

"Not really, but we're getting closer. He's the one that handles the money, launders it and makes it disappear from the cops' trail. We gain access to his computer–"

"–we cripple the operation. That's good." Oliver nodded as Tommy neared them, eyes straying from their dynamic to the screen when a light bulb turned on.

"Hey I know that guy! William Mason, he used to work with my father as one of his personal accountants." Tommy interjected catching their attention. "He seemed shady as fuck back then too, but I didn't ask much about it. Guy is loaded, I was sure he had to be scamming us or something, but money launderer fits him too."

"He is, both it looks like. And, luckily to us, also happens to be hosting a fundraiser on his palace of corruption, tonight." Felicity ended swirling in her chair until she was facing them both.

"Good, we can slip in with the company as an excuse and get you to his systems."

"Oh no, we're not." She said halting Oliver in his spot, having already turned to look for his suit, fingers clenching in anticipation for his bow. At the determination in her face he couldn't help but ask. "What are you talking about?"

"Your leg. You can barely walk, Oliver. You should be laying down, an ice pack glued to your ankle right now, not waltzing into the bad guy's lair looking for trouble." Her voice was stern as she walked to him, Tommy eyeing them both and getting a nurse-patient vibe that more than amused him, wishing he could record their exchange as munitions for Thea.

"Felicity…"

"Don't 'Felicity' me. I'm not doing this with you in this state."

"I know it's not ideal, but John's still in the hospital; Roy's visiting Thea and it's the perfect cover to get in. I can do this; you can make up an excuse for the limping." He added the last part as a haggle, knowing her cover stories sure would be better than his, and that admitting his injury would gain him some points. Still he didn't see this outcome coming.

"I could go."

Tommy's voice cut from behind them, effectively drawing their attention from each other.

"I already have an in with the guy, I could score an invite with just a phone call and rise less suspicion than you. And Felicity could come as my date or something, sneak to do her techno thing and slip out. They will be none the wiser."

Oliver sent him quite the death glare as the word 'date' left his lips, still Felicity was beaming when the plan had been laid out.

"Great! That would work, and you could be our back-up through the comms." She offered turning to Oliver once more. Under the pressure of the pleading look on her face his grimace turned into a forced smile as he nodded in approval. She somewhat jumped in the spot before rushing out in need of a dress for the evening, not before asking Tommy to pick her up in an hour.

His laugher once more echoed through the lair, this time at Oliver's frustrated expression and, tossing his best friend the ice pack, bee lined for the door.

_This could be fun._

* * *

><p>"This is a bad idea."<p>

Oliver's voice was tense through the comms and Tommy couldn't help but chuckle as he led Felicity towards the door. Thought it was his first time undercover and wearing a listening device, he wasn't the least bit nervous.

"Relax, man! I'll take care of her. Besides, you know I've always wanted to do this Bond kind of thing. Let me live it up."

His grunt in response was barely heard as Felicity simply shook her head in amusement. Oliver's eyes were glued to the screen in which, through the security cameras Felicity had set up before their departure, he followed their every move. As they entered the ball room his breath hitched at seeing her once more, a dark blue dress clinging to every curve of her slender body, her locks fastened in a high ponytail and high heels that made her almost equal in height to Tommy.

Then his blood boiled as he spotted his best friend's hand lingering on her lower back, guiding her through the room. Oliver bit down on his lip to swallow his protest, knowing Felicity would hear it as well and wouldn't be too pleased about it. The best he could do was rushing the process.

"According to the blue prints his study must be upstairs on the far right."

"Yeah, but we can't very well dart to it right away. That would be suspicious." Felicity chimed low enough to only be heard by them. "We always linger for a few minutes whenever we do this, have a drink and meaningless conversation here and there. You know, blend in."

"Exactly Ollie, there's no rush, is there?" Humor was clear in Tommy's voice, almost a challenge for him to speak up. Oliver knew exactly what he was doing, rattling his cage and –though more subtly than Thea– pushing his feeling for Felicity to the surface. He wouldn't give in, but what left his best friend's lips next surely strained his composure. "We might as well have a dance then. Shall we?" Tommy finished holding a hand up for her to take.

Felicity only hesitated for a beat, almost expecting Oliver's complaint but, at his absolute silence, took Tommy's offered hand and followed him to the center of the ballroom joining a few couples who swayed to the string quartet on the corner.

Oliver's fingers brushed against each other furiously as Tommy held Felicity closer than socially acceptable, her head almost brushing against his as his hand laid spread over her back. He was about to rush to get an arrow –the familiar feel brought him comfort– when they begun talking again, drawing his attention.

"This isn't too bad, right?"

"No. I'm actually enjoying myself. I don't usually get to enjoy the music at this type of things, too tensed or excited about the actual work maybe." She shared leaning into his hold; though intimate she felt comfortable in his arms, no electric vibe going through as it usually happened whenever Oliver and her got this close to one another.

"So you and Oliver don't do this whenever you can? I mean, undercover." Feeling the shake of her head, Tommy saw it fit to push a little bit more. "Not even when you guys are playing fiancés?"

Felicity tensed in his arms, pulling back slightly to meet his eyes, finding humor swarming in them.

"He told me about Max Fuller" Tommy shared as she opened her mouth but no sound came out. "If I had known that would push you two closer together I would've brought him up long ago."

"Tommy… the comms." Felicity said after a moment of silence, noticing Oliver had apparently run out of words just as she had.

"Oh, I already gave him my piece of mind. And I figured this was a great place to bring your _thing_ at, seeing neither of you can really walk away."

Taken aback she simply looked at him for a moment, focusing on the waltz playing in the background to steady her breathing. "What do you want us to say?"

"Felicity…" Oliver spoke up in a whisper through the other side, giving her an out. They didn't need to explain themselves after all, they've done that plenty lately.

Her mouth opened but before words left her lips Oliver's voice broke in again, though this time it was alert and in full Arrow mode. "Guys, time to make a move. Mason's security just came down the stairs."

Giving Tommy an apologetic look, though still looking relieved, Felicity took his hand and led them to the target.

* * *

><p>The worst had passed, or so Oliver had thought after enduring the torture of watching his best friend holding Felicity in ways only he wanted to do. Still as the evening went on he was proven dead wrong.<p>

"Hurry up, 'Lis! Does it always take this long?" Tommy's rushed whisper came by the door of the study, where he stood keeping guard.

"It doesn't. But this is a particularly paranoid accountant and it's taken me longer than expected to get to his files. Still I'm in, the download it's almost over." A full minute passed before she hissed a thrilled 'yes!' and, unplugging her pendrive, joined Tommy on the exit. They were inches away from a clean getaway, already walking out of the room, when the security guy's gruff voice drifted from the hall, announcing he was coming their way.

Tommy barely had time to register Felicity's panicked expression and Oliver's hurried directions through the comms to make something up before he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to a very astonished Felicity.

Oliver could only watch in disbelief as his best friend planted a good one on Felicity, pressing her further against the closed door of the study as she stumbled to hold her own. A hand came up to hold Tommy's arm as one of his freed her face and lowered to snake around her waist, helping her on her feet.

Oliver's muffled cursing echoed through their comms, eliciting a knowing smirk on Tommy's face. Next thing a hand at his shoulder pulled him backwards, breaking away his kiss and, though he somehow expected it to be Oliver, he was met with the deadly glare of another very threatening-looking man.

"You shouldn't be up here." The bouncer boomed eyeing them down. Felicity stood still speechless by his side, her nude lip gloss now slightly smudged, a fact that elicited another smile from him.

Putting on his best playboy mask Tommy buttoned his suit up and addressed the fuming man. "I apologize, we got a bit caught up and needed to release the tension… somewhere more private. You know what I mean." He added with a wink and leaning slightly towards the towering man with a knowing smile. Oliver's grunt rumbled in his ears only widening his grin.

The security man, though not amused, let it slide and ushered them downstairs with a warning look; surely not taking a trust-fund boy as Tommy Merlyn as a threat. Tommy had to half-drag Felicity along, his grasp on her hand bringing her alive; though her face didn't regain color until they hit the cold outside and were heading back to the lair.

On the ride over she turned off their comms –Oliver's strained noises on the other side not having gone unnoticed– before addressing Tommy, who looked happier than ever.

"You know he's not gonna be happy about that."

"I do and sorry, if I stepped any boundaries with you. But honestly this would serve you guys well; maybe prompt him to _finally_ take a step."

"Tommy…" Felicity warned before dropping the subject. "It's okay with me, just got taken off guard that's all."

"So you're gonna tell me _that_ never happened in your undercover missions with Oliver?"

Felicity blushed simply at the thought shooting him a knowing look that he wasn't sure whether it meant 'don't ask' or 'I wished it had'.

As they walked into the lair not long after, they found more than a dozen ping pong balls arrowed to the wall, surely with more force than necessary, and Oliver pacing impatiently in the training mat, shirt already off.

The death glare he sent Tommy upon spotting him by the door even made her flinch, yet his best friend seemed only slightly affected, flashing his best 'sorry' look and shrugging his shoulders before nonchalantly saying "You asked me to improvise. Besides, you said it yourself: 'missions are unpredictable'".

Oliver grunted in response and faced her with a raised eyebrow; an extended hand silently asking for the information gotten. Handing the drive she bit her lip in response to the silent questions swirling in his blue eyes; then turned to Tommy who eyed them both with particular interest.

A beat passed in tense silence before she decided to cut the tension, a very Felicity like thought comfortably filling the lair.

"Well you wanted to be all Bond like. Doesn't get more secret spy than making out with a girl or two for his missions, right?"

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em>

Writing this chapter I realized that almost everyone is alive and well in this series, which I know is not plausible in this show but it's a good escape to the angst. Also I _REALLY_ love writing Tommy and may still not be over him dying.

Again, this series is just a joy to write, and reading your comments about it only makes it better :)

So, as always, _encouragement and constructive criticism is always welcomed._

Until next time!


	8. Can't you see

Hi! It's been forever since my last update, but know that was because I took said time to write, edit and get feedback from fellow writers for this to be as good as it could be. Shout-out to Selena and Bri for their input on this :)  
>That being said, I hope you guys enjoy it, and would love to hear your comments and thoughts too!<br>Last but not least, this is dedicated to the wonderful BlueMorgana for being my cheerleader and an absolute dream!  
><em>Happy read!<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>CAN'T YOU SEE<strong>

She should have known better.

There was something sketchy about that situation, something Felicity would have spotted had she been paying attention. After all, in the thread of games and craziness Thea brought into their life, this fit right in.

It happened the next time she was in town, barely a month since her last visit. After hearing Roy's mopey voice on the phone she couldn't help herself and flew back home on her week off. She was more than welcomed.

Everyone in the team lightened up whenever Thea was around, Roy and Oliver picking up grins and shaking heads in lieu of their default grumpy faces as she waltzed through the Arrowcave.

Though it would seem unusual, the young Queen fit right in. Maybe not participating in their missions per se; instead giving comfort and unwinding a peeved Roy whenever something went wrong or keeping Felicity company while the boys were out on the field. Thea reminded her brother's partner to take a break every now and then, bringing in food whenever they forgot about a meal too wrapped up in a case, or simply making small talk while she busied herself stitching up the guy's super suits –as she liked to call them–. One time she had even suggested on making them a cape, to which Felicity had promptly replied "_no capes!_" before she burst out laughing, much to Thea's confusion. That night they had a movie night at Oliver's place and the blonde made them both watch _The incredibles_ for the first time, arguing it would be educational.

As unusual of a pair they may seem, Oliver's favorite girls got along wonderfully, the initial awkwardness having left them with time, only returning to a certain degree when Thea dropped one of her not-so-subtle jabs at their '_totally_ platonic' relationship. That Friday night fell into the category of Thea's mischiefs that wouldn't be forgotten soon.

Felicity was at the lair typing away while Roy worked on his archery skills, grunting in discontent when shots weren't up to Oliver's standards. As she shook her head at his stubbornness and annoyance by his failure, much alike Oliver's, her phone rang, _Bring it on_'s ringtone implying a certain troublesome brunette was on the line.

"Thea! I thought you would be at Tablesault by now, your no-cellphones-on rule, interruptions lockdown in effect. Is everything okay?" Felicity exclaimed not taking a breath along the way, out of the corner of her eye spotting Roy freezing at hearing Thea's name. The bow got cast aside as his attention strayed to his girlfriend on the line. Taking his cue Felicity put her on speaker.

Letting out a deep breath Thea's voice filled the lair, the distinct sound of traffic on the background. "Yep, just Ollie being his lovely self stood me up last second. Something about a personal emergency he needed to handle. You know anything about that?" Mild annoyance laced her words; still there was also the levity of a sister who would put up with everything her brother failed to do for her.

"No. He hasn't called or said anything to me about it. Didn't have meetings at work either." Felicity replied frowning as she recounted the talk they'd had that morning before leaving for work. Her fingers glided over her laptop promptly dialing the familiar number only to get his voicemail. "That's weird."

"Yep, that's my brother all right." Thea snorted, before her chipper tone resumed. "Anyways, I'm already here and _dying_ for their sublime chocolate mousse but in no mood to go through it alone. Maybe you could join me?"

Her smile and pleading puppy dog eyes were felt even through the phone, making them both grin at her antics.

"Well, that dessert doesn't sound half bad; but why doesn't Roy go instead? It's not like he's making any progress. I know his bow would be more than grateful for the break." Felicity added the last part in a hushed tone; still the crumpled paper that hit her head next proved it hadn't been low enough.

She proceeded to turn around in her chair and stick her tongue out at Roy in return, knowing Dig would surely shake his head in amusement were he around –still it was Julie's night with John–.

"Yes to chocolate, no to the fancy restaurant part. I didn't wear my good suit today." Roy cut in with a smirk, loud enough for Thea to hear as well and groan accordingly.

"You're no fun, Harper! I'm already all dolled up and waiting by the door. Please don't leave me hanging, Fliss!"

It wasn't fair; she was using all her munitions, pleading tone and personal nickname that always drew the biggest grin from her. It took less than a minute before Felicity caved in, sighing in defeat.

"Okay, I'm on my way. Give me the address."

"Yay! You're the best!" Thea cheered before singing the address joyfully; all the while Felicity gathered her stuff and left in a hurry, barely missing Roy's knowing smirk on her way out.

* * *

><p>Thankfully traffic hadn't been that bad and less than twenty minutes later Felicity stepped through the restaurant's doors, curious eyes searching the foyer for Thea when the hostess spotted her.<p>

"Welcome. Can I help you?" She brightly asked, polite smile in place.

"Yes, I'm joining someone who's already inside by the looks of it. Reservation's under Mr. Queen." Felicity offered recounting what Thea had shared over the phone.

After going over a select list before her, the hostess' smile widened, eyebrows shot upwards in surprise before addressing her again and, if Felicity had to say, she looked even more gracious and respectful after her connection with the Queen's was established.

"Of course; Mrs. Queen. Follow me."

They walked through the room, the very fancy, romantic-looking restaurant. It had the same intimate feel of that amazing winery Oliver had taken her mid-february. Felicity's brow furrowed at the thought of Thea picking this place for a dinner with her brother. _That must be one hell of a chocolate mousse!_

When they reached the upper level a few secluded tables greeted them, subtle panels keeping them private and away from wandering eyes. Felicity came to a halt when the hostess finally reached their table where a different Queen awaited her.

"Oliver?" Felicity croaked as their eyes met. By the confused look on his face he didn't expect to meet her either. It took less than a minute before the truth dawned on both of them.

"Thea.", they recognized in unison, amusement clear in their voices.

Felicity proceeded to take her coat off and sit opposite him on the table as Oliver shook his head at his sister's unyielding attempts to set them up, still pleased with the change of plans.

"What was her excuse this time?"

"You bailing for 'personal reasons'. She bribed me with dessert to come in your place. I expect you to double that offer, by the way."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." His comeback was coupled with a warm smile that lightened the deep blue in their eyes. Felicity countered it with one of those lopsided grins she knew he liked.

Without breaking eye contact Oliver signaled the waitress that stood across the room who promptly rushed to their table. If Felicity had been paying her any attention she would have noticed it from the start. Still, too caught up in Oliver's stare, she barely registered him asking for an entrée –that surely was one of her favorites– and the wine menu.

He numbly took the offered menu and slid it to her across the table, nodding in approval when she arched an eyebrow in question. After briefly going over the list, still feeling the heat of Oliver's gaze on her, Felicity looked up to the waitress and placed her order. That's when she first saw it happening.

The red-haired woman was practically drooling over Oliver, green eyes glued on his face; and him, much to her surprise, didn't stray his attention from Felicity.

"Coming right up", the waitress said not even giving her a second look before retreating to the pantry.

Felicity chuckled and shook her head as they were alone again, but once she looked at Oliver his expression remained the same, probably being more than used to getting that reaction from women; so she let it pass, instead starting a conversation about what film they could watch the following night.

That was just the beginning.

For the next hour and a half the waitress –Libby her name card read– stood by the edge of the room whenever her attention wasn't needed elsewhere, eyes firmly planted on Oliver. Every order taken, delivered and collected had been coupled with a not so subtle hint of her attraction.

"Of course, Mr. Queen", she'd purred once.

Then had come the leaning lower than necessary next to him so his eyes had a clear path to her cleavage. Felicity could swear it got lower and more revealing as the time passed; the red-headed beauty upping her antics when no positive response arose from Oliver.

She could only look in disbelief as 'Libby' slid her arm behind Oliver's head on his chair 'for support', giving him a bright smile when he casted a look her way in question.

Felicity couldn't blame her for being flustered by Oliver. After all, even without knowing the incredible man underneath the rich persona, he was more than alluring. Between those piercing blue eyes which never failed to send shivers down her spine, the light stubble that darkened his chiseled jaw and the expensive suit he had on –that gave him quite the Don Draper feel–, no one could resist him.

Still, the least she could do was be subtle. Apparently that word didn't fit in her vocabulary. For God's sake, Felicity had had to endure countless nights of him training shirtless and gloriously sweaty on the salmon ladder without jumping his bones right there.

The worst or best of all –she wasn't sure– was Oliver's utter lack of response. Apart from a nod or hum here and there whenever she sultrily moaned a question –because, honestly, her voice dripped of sex–, he barely acknowledged the woman, blue eyes intensely focused on the blonde before him instead. Yet that didn't seem to bother or stop Libby's advances at all; even more, they seemed to stoke the fire, surely taking his indifference as a challenge.

Half way through the ordeal –since keeping her mouth shut about those blatant displays of excitement sure took some effort–, Felicity wondered if Tommy had set the woman up for it. Maybe he had conspired with Thea and slipped the server extra cash to make her jealous or something.

She made it through two hours before words burst through her lips.

"Okay, there's no way you didn't notice _that_."

"Notice what?" Oliver asked nonchalantly.

"That whole act; little yelp when uncorking the bottle, then 'accidentally' dropping it only to bend and snap, 'legally blonde style'. I mean, that's just desperate." Felicity chuckled, words leaving her in a flurry after having held them back for so long. Still, seeing Oliver's shrug and naïve look, another slew of comments fled out before she could suppress them.

"It's like I'm not even here! For God's sake, Oliver, she even grazed your shoulder with –with her boob once while 'casually' leaning over you. And don't these people have a dress code? I'm pretty sure that's not very sanitary."

"Maybe you're the one she's flirting with." Oliver argued once she stopped to take a breath. He could pin point the exact second Felicity realized the meaning behind his words as her eyes narrowed.

"You _have_ noticed everything, haven't you?" His smirk widened behind the glass thus she lightly kicked his shin underneath the table. "Then why didn't you say anything? Put this girl out of her misery so she would actually focus on her job."

"I was too amused watching your reactions. Actually had a bet going with myself about how long before you cracked and mentioned it."

Another gentle nudge was directed towards him, but this time having the heads up he caught her right leg between his and halted the attack, looking thoughtfully amused. He held it in his for a moment before releasing it with an eyebrow raised in warning.

"You're no better than Thea with the whole betting about us thing." Felicity pointed out shaking her head.

"How high do you think that has reached?"

"Oh, it has escalated from money to dares. I can't wait to see what they end up doing." She chuckled as he pondered her words.

"You can't wait…?" Oliver questioned, making her replay the words in her head. _Three, two, one._

"I _can_ wait." Felicity finally replied softly before taking a gulp from her glass. The heady drink ran down her throat, almost making her choke when Libby suddenly appeared next to their table and proceeded to not so subtly slid Oliver her phone number.

Before she could strut away, Oliver halted her with firm voice. "Excuse me."

The red head looked more than pleased at finally getting his attention, muttering another breathy 'yes, Mr. Queen' together with a satisfied grin that, thankfully for Felicity, got erased with the next words uttered by her partner.

"Sorry but I'm not interested. Actually, I'm spoken for."

He pushed the paper back before locking eyes with Felicity again, who was staring at him taken aback, and giving her one of his disarming winks that effectively made her blush.

Libby walked away in dismay, throwing Felicity quite a disapproving glare she missed still being caught up in Oliver's gaze. A charged beat passed between them as she pondered her next words.

"Oliver…"

"I know." He cut in, eyes meeting and silently telling everything his lips didn't. "But she was going overboard; it was making me uncomfortable too." He offered in return, putting the issue to rest.

With Libby's icy demeanor now in the background, they eased into light conversation. Before long they were enjoying their desserts: a heavenly cheese cake and the promised chocolate mousse that, as Thea had assured, was the food of the gods. Felicity couldn't help the satisfied moan that escaped her lips as her taste buds savored heaven, Oliver's chuckle rumbling in return, his eyes darkening noticeably at the sight.

A half hour later he was helping her into her coat, hand on her lower back gently guiding her to the exit. This felt normal, right, even if they had been coerced by Thea, Felicity thought as they reached the foyer. There the hostess bid them goodbye, a gracious smile on her face as she said her bit.

"Hope you had a pleasant evening, Mr. and Mrs. Queen."

Apparently she had fallen to quite different conclusions about _what_ they were than their waitress had.

"I'm not…" Felicity begun, only to be cut in by Oliver's arm protectively circling her waist. Pulling her closer to his side, he addressed the third party, socialite smile in place.

"Thank you."

The hostess beamed at them in return, as Oliver guided a still taken-aback Felicity outside. The cold air hit her and cleared her thoughts, the reason behind her misunderstanding becoming crystal clear.

"Thea?"

"Yep, Speedy's doing for sure." Oliver agreed, shaking his head at the effort his sister had put into this set up with Felicity.

On the ride back home Felicity couldn't help but texting said troublesome lady.

'Just so you know, I'm doubting the purpose of your no-cell-phone rule right now.'

'Was the chocolate mousse awesome or what?' She so innocently replied.

'I'm gonna get back at you for this one.'

'What? I believe that would be considered an act of good. I thought of lending a hand, since you're both clearly in denial.'

'Good night, Thea.'

'Fine, keep all the juicy details to yourself; I'll have Sara coerce them out of you later.' Her last text read, making Felicity shake her head in amusement. If there was something she was absolutely certain of, it was that her life had become so much better –albeit crazier– with the Queen siblings in it.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em> This sure was fun to write :)

As always, encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.


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